David and Andy,
Thank you for this. Too often on this list - albeit, i believe,
with the best
intentions - requests for advice by those outside our immediate
community
are met with long tedious discussions about "where we are now";
discussions
that almost always (1) leave the the original question in the dust
and (2) lead
to suggestions wildly beyond the reach of smaller or mid-sized
institutions.
i.e. I don't think the original question was a call for round-table
discussion on
best practice. Rather, it was a plea for real, tangible advice
from a person
with specific needs and a budget explicitly defined as "very limited".
It's comforting to see members providing helpful information to
"the rest of" the
board's membership.
Brandon Burke
On Mar 27, 2007, at 9:38 AM, David Seubert wrote:
I'm with Andy on this 100%. I was at a conference a few weeks ago
and the buzz now is Trusted Digital Repositories and furthermore,
the certification of TDRs. There is already a two-tiered system
developing where there are those with the expertise and money to
store digital data in properly and those that can't. For the
latter, outsourcing the storage to OCLC isn't really an option--
it's just too expensive and homebrewed solutions (Costco RAID)
aren't going to impress funders. I'm guessing that in a couple of
years if you don't have a certified TDR you aren't going to get
grants. And that's a shame, because there is a lot of content out
there that is at risk held by institutions that won't ever be able
to afford to build (and maintain) a TDR.
I think the solution is regional, consortial, or discipline-based
networks where the little folks can park their data cheaply or for
free, but we aren't there yet and it will be years before we are
there. Until then, people need options. I'm not in love with CD-R
(or LTO--it's tape for heaven's sake) and storing hard drives on
shelves can't be the whole solution, but I think that some
combination of these are a reasonable option. If a combination of
these can get an institution through the next ten years until
they've got someplace to park their data online in a system that
is monitoring data and verifying checksums, etc., then great.
David Seubert
UCSB
andy kolovos wrote:
Hi--
While I fully agree with what Tom and others are saying regarding
managed storage, there's another level here that you guys seem
simply to be dismissing--what do individuals and institutions who
lack funds do to manage digital assets on a short-to-medium term
basis? I still feel external HDD has a place in a lower cost,
comprehensive digital asset management plan for people and
organizations with limited funding and access to technology.
Local historical societies here in VT are generating digital
image files (for example) up the wazoo. As their oral history
projects move into the born digital domain, they're accumulating
digital audio files as well. Most of these organizations lack
any budget outside of good will. What would you have them do
with these materials? Not do interviews? Not scan old images?
Better to recommend a combo of optical disc and multiple external
HDD than have their files only sitting on the system drive of
their 8 year old Compaq or on a pile of Staples CD-Rs alone.
While managed, redundant, backed up, server-based storage is an
ideal and a goal, we as a field need to come up with some
acceptable second tier recommendations as well.
Andy
Rob Poretti wrote:
Thanks Tom... You put a "grimmer" face on it, but you are 100%
correct.
Rob Poretti
Sascom - Toronto
vox.905.825.5373 fax.905.469.1129 cel.905.580.2467
www.sascom.com www.cube-tec.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
[mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Fine
Sent: March 26, 2007 5:49 PM
To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Hard disk drives and DAT
I hope Richard and/or Parker and/or Spec Bros. jump in here.
The ONLY answer is managed and constantly migrated storage. You
simply cannot live by the old "put it on a shelf in a clean,
cool room" idea anymore. Digital storage must be in constant
motion -- literally since hard drives have been known to fail
or never start up again if left idle on a shelf (ask around
Hollywood, everyone has a horror story or two). You have to
plan to have a "living" hard drive array that is redundant,
preferably with a constantly mirrored clone at a different
location, and plan on swapping out drives every XX hours of use
or at worst when they inevitably fail. There are firms that do
this on an out-source basis, I think. I believe the 90's dot-
bomb term was "storage farms." Some of them are actually
located in old bomb shelters and missle bunkers.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message ----- From: "andy kolovos"
<akolovos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 5:00 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Hard disk drives and DAT
Lauren,
As a short-to-medium-term storage solution--and as a part of a
more comprehensive
approach--multiple HDD is the best most of us can do at
this point in time.
I prefer Maxtor and Western Digital drives, and I favor those
that come in enclosures that offer
FireWire and an on/off switch. Very vexing to have no
on/off switch.
In some cases it can be more cost effective to purchase Maxtor/
WD internal drives, reliable
external enclosures and build them yourself. I've had good
luck with the "Neptune" line of
enclosures from Other World Computing
(http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/add-ons-and-hubs/encl
osure-kits) and have heard good
things about their "Mercury Elite" enclosures as well.
As others have mentioned, just like Coco Puffs are part of a
complete breakfast that includes
toast, juice and etc., external HDD is part of comprehensive,
lower-cost storage
approach that
includes optical disc and linear tape.
Not all of us can swing a RAID array. Do the best you can with
what you have.
best,
andy
--
Andy Kolovos
Archivist/Folklorist
Vermont Folklife Center
3 Court Street ; P.O. Box 442
Middlebury, VT 05753
(802) 388-4964
akolovos @ vermontfolklifecenter.org http://
www.vermontfolklifecenter.org
--
David Seubert, Curator
Performing Arts Collection
Davidson Library
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010
Tel: 805-893-5444 Fax: 805-893-5749
seubert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/pa/
____________________________________
Brandon Burke
Archivist for Audio Collections
Hoover Institution Archives
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6010
vox: 650.724.9711
fax: 650.725.3445
email: burke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx